Plug and jack assembly



March 1 1955 s. P. BIRD 2,703,393

PLUG AND JACK ASSEMBLY Filed May 11, 1950 INVENTOR 5Q E g2 BEG;

United States Patent PLUG AND JACK ASSEMBLY Stanley P. Bird, Verona, N.J., assignor to Breeze Cor- .porations, Inc., Newark, N. J., acorporation of New ersey Application May 11, 1950, Serial No. 161,400 2Claims. (Cl. 339-183) This invention relates to a plug and jack assemblysuch as is used in the rapid making and breaking of electrical contacts.Where it is desired to employ a plug and jack electrical connector, itis essential that the relative position between the plug and the jack beassured, and that smooth engagement and disengagement be provided for.It is also necessary to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of theunit, for the purpose of repair or making wire connections thereto.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a plug andjack assembly which will operate with a maximum of efiiciency andsmoothness, and which may be assembled without the necessity of rivetsor other securing means which make field assembly difficult.

A further object of this invention is to provide a jack assembly whichwill enable the user to make electrical connections with the maximumamount of ease.

Another object of this invention is to provide a jack assembly whichwill enable one or more of the contacts to be removed without disturbingthe remaining members.

A feature of the present invention is its interchangeable contact springstructure.

A further feature of this invention is its novel fulcrum pin whichregulates the amount of tension applied to the plug member by thecontact springs.

Another feature of this invention is its simplified construction, whichenables the user to trace the electrical circuits by visual examination,when necessary.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangementof parts, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, is illustrated oneform of embodiment of the invention, in which drawings similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts, and in which:

Figure 1 is a verticalsection of a complete embodiment of the plug andjack assembly, according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the retainer barrel and contactspring assembly shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the retainer barrel and contact springassembly shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view taken in vertical section, showing thecontact spring assembly, according to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows.

Figure 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows.

Figure 7 is a front end view of the retainer and contact springassembly, shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Referring to the drawings, and specifically Figure 1, 10 indicates asubstantially tubular outer shell having internal threads 11 at therearward end of the shell bore 12. The front of the shell 10 is providedwith an inwardly depending flange 13, said flange 13 having an opening14 therein. The opening 14 is adapted to receive therethrough a jack 15in the manner shown in Figure 1. The threaded end of the shell 10 isadapted to receive a threaded member 16, which substantially closes theend of the shell 10, with the exception of an opening 17a provided inthe said threaded member 16, through which a cable (not shown) may bedrawn.

A retainer barrel 17, best is inserted within the shell is formed 10.The retainer barrel 17 from some suitable dielectric material and isshown in Figures 2 and 3,

Specially shaped sections 19 molded in the barrel 17 bridge the slots 18and provide an anchor for contact springs 20. The contact springs 20,one of which is inserted in each of the slots 18, are provided withsubstantially U-shaped bends 21 at a point slightly spaced from thecenter of the said springs 20. The U-shaped bends 21 have inwardlydirected sides so that they grasp the bridging sections 19. (See Figures1 and 4). The forward portion of the spring contact members 20 extend inthe direction of the opening 14 in the front of the shell member 10; andare adapted to bear upon the jack 15 when the contact is desired. Thespring contact members 20 are further provided with an outwardly bowedcontour, as indicated at 22, whereby separation of the spring contactmembers is limited by the wall of the shell member 10.

A fulcrum pin 23, best shown in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 6, is provided inthe barrel member 17 and underlies one of the spring contact members 20.The fulcrum pin 23 may be longitudinally adjusted when the hole throughwhich it is thrust is bored in the barrel member, so that the desiredtension upon the contact spring which it supports may be achieved. Inthis manner, the amount of pull necessary to disengage the plug from thejack member may be determined and provided for in accordance with therequirements of the particular job which it is to accomplish.

The rearwardly extending portions 24 of the spring contact members 20are adapted to receive thereon electrical wires (not shown), in the wellknown manner. A spacer ring 25 is provided in the front of the barrel 17for the purpose of maintaining the alignment of the four fingers 26which are formed in the barrel 17 as a result of the longitudinal slots18. The fingers 26 are bored as indicated at 27, for the purpose ofreceiving the spacer ring 25 therein. The completed retainer barrel andcontact spring assembly are thrust into the shell member 10, aspreviously stated, until it strikes the flange 14 at the front of thesaid shell member 10. The combined spacer and cable clamp 28a is thenslipped into the bore 12 of the shell 10 behind the barrel member 17.The spacer and cable clamp member are provided with a substantiallycircular ring portion 28 through which a cable may be slipped, prior tosoldering the wires of the said cable to the ends 24 of the springmembers 20. When the threaded member 16 is tightened upon the spacer 27,the barrel member 17 is securely held in place and the jack assemblycompleted.

In order to repair or inspect the jack assembly it is merely necessaryto unscrew the threaded member and slip the entire spacer member andbarrel out of the shell 10. In the event that one of the spring contactmembers 20 is damaged, said spring contact member may be slipped overthe bridging section 19 upon which it is located, and a new onesubstituted.

It will thus be seen that highly simplified and etficient means havebeen provided for assembling and repairing the jack member, while at thesame time assuring the provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots18 therein.

efiicient operation of the said electrical connector.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A plug and jack assembly comprising, an outer shell, a barrel membercarried within the shell and having an outside diameter only slightlysmaller than that of the inside of the shell, comprising a plurality ofspaced longitudinal segments held together at a point spaced from thewire receiving end thereof by bridging members, said barrel beingprovided with a longitudinal bore therethrough, spring contacts securedto the bridging members at a point spaced from the wire receiving endsof said contacts, each contact having its ends extending within andbeyond the spaces between the segments and aligned thereby, a fulcrumpin disposed across one of the spaces so as to underlie one of thespring contacts and a, bore in the plug receiving end of the shell inregister with the longitudinal bore in the barrel, said bores beingadapted to receive and guide the plug between the spring contacts.

2. A plug and jack assembly comprising, an outer shell. a barrel membercarried within the shell and having an outside diameter only slightlysmaller than that of the insid at th hel emrrisips a plurality of spam!longitudinal segments held together at a point spaced from the wirereceiving end thereof by bridging members, said bar rel being providedwith a longitudinal bore therethrough, spring contacts, substantially Ushaped bends in the contactsWhereby the said contacts may he slippedover and thereby secur'edto the bridging members at'a point spaced fromthe wire receiving ends 'of said contacts, each contact having its endsextending within and beyond the spaces between the segments and alignedthereby, a fulcrum pin disposed across one oi the spaces so as tounderlie one of the spring contacts and a'bore in the plug receiving endof the shell in register with the longitudinal bore in the barrel, saidbores being adapted to receive and guide the plug between the springcontacts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

